Tube-closing machine



Sept.- l2, 1939. C; J, wEsTlN l 2,172,898

TUBE-CLOSING MACHINE v Original Fileg Jan. 2.1, 1933 2 lSheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 12, 1939 TUBE-CLOSING MACHINE Charles J. Westin, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to F. J. Stokes Machine Company, Philadelphia,

n Pa., a. corporation of Pennsylvania Original application January 21, 1933, Serial No.

676,911, now Patent No. 2,068,615, dated January 19, 1937. Divided and this application July 16, 1936, Serial No. 90,884

3 Claims.

This is a division of co-pending application Serial Number 676,911 of Charles J. Westin, filed January 21, 1933 now Patent 2,068,615 issued January 19, 1937.

This invention relates to improvements in machinery used for the lclosing and sealing of the open end of collapsible tubes, and more particularly to the method and mechanism for closing and folding the open end of the tube; the method and means used in crimping and sealing the fold of the closure or seam; and in other features which will be more apparent from the subjoined description.

The machine here shown and described is `one of the general type of tube closing and sealing machines and it is used only for the purpose of illustrating and describing the principles of the new and useful improvements included in my invention. The principles embodied in my invention can be used to advantage in any type of tube closing and sealing machine. It should also be understood that the mechanism shown may be used as a separate, complete machine for closing and sealing tubes but usually it forms only a part or attachment of a more complicated but complete machine embodying means for conveying, filling, preforming, closing, crimping and eject- The purpose of my invention is to provide means forproducing a closed tube which will hold a volume of the maximum amount of material possible for a given size of tube.

A feature of my invention is the relieved type of closing jaws. Through this novel construction the air, trapped within the tube in making the fold, is permitted to escape. In the old devices the air is compressed within the tube and, after the pressure of the closing jaws is removed, again expands and opens the fold, causing defective tubes.

The crimping jaws on this type of machine are provided with a new type of insert or punches. The type of tube closure produced by these new crimping punches is described and claimed in my co-pending application for a patent, Serial No. 641,553, led November "I, 1932, (now Patent No. 1,989,031, dated January 22, 1935).

The type of tube closure and the saving effected by the use of this new and novel invention are described and claimed in my co-pending application for Letters Patent on improvements in Collapsible tubes, filed June 21, 1933, Serial No'. 676,912 now Patent 2,053,015 issued September 1, 1936.

For a further exposition of my invention reference may be had to the annexed specication and drawings .at the end of which my invention will be specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a detail view in horizontal crosssection on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are detail viewswith parts in vertical cross-section of the tube folding and closing mechanism.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are respectively side, top and face views of crimping jaw inserts.

As seen in the drawings, and `especially in Fig. l, my machine consists of an idling pulley `l which may be connected to any suitable source of power.

Pulley 2 is fast on shaft 3 by means of which it drives gears 4 and 5. Gear 5 carries a pin 6 thereon which co-operates with the slots in a star or Geneva Wheel 1 which is connected to shaft 8 and thereby drives dial Il) through gears 9.

dial l0.

At its opposite end shaft 25 carries one of a pair of gears 26 which drive stub shaft 21 having a closed cam 28 mounted thereon. Cam

28 contains cam grooves 29 and 30 in it.

Roller 3l is mounted in cam groove 30 and actuates rod 32 which is pivotally connected to lever 33. Lever 33 is mounted at an angle to shaft 25 as can be seen from Fig. l. Lever 33 carries at its opposite end a rod 34 upon which preformer 35 is mounted.

Referring to Figs. l and 2, there are shown mounted on shaft 25 cams 4l which drive levers 42 which in turn drive the closing and. folding jaws 43. In producing this blunt or straight body type of tube closure, I found that there is less room at the top or end of the tube above the contents for the air, which is trapped within the tube as the folds are made therein. I'he folds, of course, are started from the top or end of the tube, as seen in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and the tube is lifted for each fold, a new portion being compressed each time a fold is made. When the folds are made very slowly the air has a chance to escape as the walls are compressed but in high speed machinery the time does not permit the air to escape through the very minute space between the walls of the tube.

The closing and folding jaws 43 are therefore relieved slightly at 44 at their centers so as to provide a passage for the escape of the trapped air and to prevent the compressing of any air within the tubes. This compressed air has a tendency to open the nished fold after the pressure of the jaws 43 is removed.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, there is also provided'on shaft 25 a cam 45 which drives linked levers 46 which in turn drive the crimping jaws 41. The crimping jaws 41 carry thereon inserts 48 which have indentations or teeth thereon of the type to produce the type of closure called for in my co-pending application for Letters Patent, Serial Number 641,553, led November 7, 1932 (now Patent No. 1,989,031, dated Jan. 22, 1935). The inserts 48 carry projections 49 thereon which have at their extremities at or blunt portions 5D. The flat or blunt portions may be above the horizontal centers of the inserts as indicated by the axial line 5I. As will be seen from Fig. 2, the teeth 49 mesh or interlock so that indentations are formed in the opposite sides of the fold or closure at the end of the tube.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, cam groove 29 has a roller (not numbered) co-operating with it. This roller is mountedv on the end of rod 52, and through rod 52, actuates linkage 53 thereby raising and lowering the ejector or tube lift-out I9.

I do not intend to be limited in the practice of my invention save as the scope of the prior art and of the attached claims may require.

I claim:

1. In a tube-closing machine, the combination comprising, means for conveying a plurality of tubes having open ends to be closed, and closing and folding jaws mounted adjacent the path of travel of the open ends of said tubes, said jaws having a notch or relieved part in and extending across their operative faces in the same direction as the axis of the tube operated upon to provide for the escape of air from said tubes during the closing operation.

2. In an automatic tube-closing machine, the combination comprising, a conveyor for transporting a plurality of tubes having open ends to be closed, closing and folding jaws mounted adjacent the path of travel of the open ends of said tubes, said jaws having a notch or relieved part in and extending across their operative faces in the same direction as the axis of the tube operated upon to provide fo-r the escape of air from said tubes during the closing operation, and one means which drives said conveyor and which also reciprocates said jaws relative to each other.

3. In a tube-closing machine, the combination comprising, means for conveying a plurality of tubes having open ends to be closed, closing and folding means including a pair of jaws mounted adjacent the path of travel of the open ends of said tubes, crimping means mounted adjacent the path of travel of said tubes which have been closed and folded, said jaws having a notch or relieved part in and extending across their operative faces in the same direction as the axis of the tube operated upon to provide a passage through the folds for the escape of trapped air Within the tube at the closing operation and. before crimping, and interlocking teeth formed in the operative faces of said crimping means adapted to engage the closed end of the tube and to form a row of crimps in the center of said folds, thereby pressing the sides of the closure tightly together.

CHARLES J. WESTIN. 

